10 Thanksgiving Health Facts
It’s that time of year again, where we gather with family and feast on turkey and all the trimmings! To celebrate, we have compiled 10 interesting Thanksgiving health facts to share with you.
1. A standard Thanksgiving meal will contain anywhere from 2,500 – 3,000 calories! That’s without the appetizers or snacks that you may eat earlier in the day.
2. Turkey is a great low fat source of protein. A 4oz serving of turkey contains approximately 32 grams of protein. That’s 65% of your recommended daily protein intake.
3. Turkey is a healthy low fat meat but make sure to choose an organic turkey or one from a local farmer. Supermarket turkeys have often been pumped full of antibiotics and injected with saline to plump up the meat!
4. Each year, Americans eat approximately 46 million turkeys at Thanksgiving, however meat-free alternatives are gaining in popularity. In 2011, half a million Tofurky’s were sold at Thanksgiving.
5. A recent study has shown that the proanthocyanidins contained within cranberries improve oral health by preventing bacteria from binding to teeth! As great as cranberries may be, nothing can replace seeing an actual Dentist Hampton and taking on board their advice on how to best care for your teeth.
6. It’s commonly thought that eating turkey causes drowsiness because of the tryptophan contained in the meat, but turkey actually has comparable levels to many other meats. Many cheeses contain more!
7. Sweet potatoes contain anthocyanin and other pigments that are thought to have anti-inflammatory health benefits. Eating these yummy vegetables may help with inflammation related health problems.
8. In 2010, 2.4 billion lbs. of sweet potatoes were grown in the United States with many consumed at Thanksgiving.
9. We don’t gain as much weight as you would expect at Thanksgiving. Studies have found that you only gain on average 1 lb. during the Thanksgiving period.
10. To burn off the calories from 1 slice of pecan pie with cream, you would have to walk approximately 5.5 miles.
Sources:
http://projects.nytimes.com/qa/events/thanksgiving-help-line/question/8134 The New York Times – What is the average number of calories a person consumes at Thanksgiving dinner?
http://www.livestrong.com/article/2704-facts-health-benefits-turkey/ Livestrong – Facts on the Health Benefits of Turkey
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/11/21/tofurky-manufacturer-could-make-a-killing-on-thanksgiving US News – Tofurky Manufacturer Could Make a Killing on Thanksgiving
http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/much-americans-spend-thanksgiving-turkey-161402433.html Yahoo Finance – How Much Will Americans Spend on Their Thanksgiving Turkey?
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/269142.php Medical News Today – What are the health benefits of cranberries?
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/the-truth-about-tryptophan WebMD – The Truth About Tryptophan
http://mentalfloss.com/article/23355/how-much-weight-do-people-gain-thanksgiving Mental Floss – How Much Weight Do People Gain on Thanksgiving?
http://walking.about.com/library/cal/blthanksgivingcalories.htm About.com – Thanksgiving Calorie Calculator
http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/cb11-ff21.html United States Census Bureau – Facts for Features
About SignatureMD
SignatureMD is one of the nation’s largest firms providing initial conversion and ongoing support services to concierge medicine physicians. SignatureMD currently partners with over 200 affiliated primary care physicians and specialists across 35 states, and its network is rapidly expanding.